The Moontrekkers
Encyclopedia
The Moontrekkers were a British
instrumental
rock and roll
band in the early 1960s, who are best known for their minor chart hit "Night of the Vampire", arranged and produced by Joe Meek
, and for their peripheral involvement in the early career of singer Rod Stewart
.
, north London
, by teenage school friends Gary Leport (b. 1945, guitar), Jimmy Raither (guitar), Peter Johnson (bass), Tony White (drums), and Robert Farrant (vocals). After Farrant left - later going on to record under the name Bobby Shafto - the group auditioned new singers, and replaced him with the 16-year old Rod Stewart. They then won an audition with record producer
Joe Meek, who liked the group but not their singer. Stewart left, and Meek persuaded the group to add keyboard player Pete Knight, and to change their name to The Moontrekkers. They recorded Leport's instrumental tune, "Night of the Vampire", at Meek's home studio in Islington
, with Leport on lead guitar, Knight on clavioline
, and Meek himself providing the eerie screams at the end of the record. The record was banned by the BBC as being "unsuitable for people of a nervous disposition" when released on the Parlophone
label in 1961, but rose to #50 on the UK singles chart
. The group toured in their own right, and also provided backing for singer Vince Eager
.
In 1962, Leport, Johnson and White left the group. Knight and Raither continued, adding Bob Frost (bass) and Derek Dampier (drums). They released two further singles, "There's Something At The Bottom Of The Well" (1962) and "Moondust" (1963), without success in the UK although "Moondust" was a top ten hit in Sweden
. The Moontrekkers broke up soon afterwards.
in 1962. When singer Tommy Bishop left the group, Leport's old friend Rod Stewart joined as his replacement. In September 1963, the group were contracted to provide backing to singer Jimmy Powell
, previously of The Rockin' Berries
, with Stewart playing harmonica
and the band being billed on a tour of the UK as Jimmy Powell & The Five Dimensions. Leport and Stewart both left the band before the end of 1963. Leport then retired from the music industry, but began performing again with semi-professional group Cut Glass in the late 1980s, and occasionally performed with Knight, Johnson and White as a re-formed Moontrekkers. In recent years Leport has performed with local Hampshire
band The Plonkers, and with Bournemouth
-based jazz
quartet Swing 39.
The Moontrekkers' rhythm guitarist Jimmy Raither died in Scotland
in 1993.
An arrangement of "Night of the Vampire", by composer and pianist Harry Whitney, was performed by the Kronos Quartet
at Carnegie Hall
in New York City
in 2008.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
band in the early 1960s, who are best known for their minor chart hit "Night of the Vampire", arranged and produced by Joe Meek
Joe Meek
Robert George "Joe" Meek was a pioneering English record producer and songwriter....
, and for their peripheral involvement in the early career of singer Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
.
Career
The origins of the group lay in The Raiders, formed around 1960 in HornseyHornsey
Hornsey is a district in London Borough of Haringey in north London in England. Whilst Hornsey was formerly the name of a parish and later a municipal borough of Middlesex, today, the name refers only to the London district. It is an inner-suburban area located north of Charing Cross.-Locale:The ...
, north London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, by teenage school friends Gary Leport (b. 1945, guitar), Jimmy Raither (guitar), Peter Johnson (bass), Tony White (drums), and Robert Farrant (vocals). After Farrant left - later going on to record under the name Bobby Shafto - the group auditioned new singers, and replaced him with the 16-year old Rod Stewart. They then won an audition with record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Joe Meek, who liked the group but not their singer. Stewart left, and Meek persuaded the group to add keyboard player Pete Knight, and to change their name to The Moontrekkers. They recorded Leport's instrumental tune, "Night of the Vampire", at Meek's home studio in Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
, with Leport on lead guitar, Knight on clavioline
Clavioline
The clavioline is an electronic keyboard instrument, a forerunner to the analog synthesizer.It was invented by Constant Martin in 1947. It consists of a keyboard and a separate amplifier and speaker unit. The keyboard usually covered three octaves, and had a number of switches to alter the tone of...
, and Meek himself providing the eerie screams at the end of the record. The record was banned by the BBC as being "unsuitable for people of a nervous disposition" when released on the Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
label in 1961, but rose to #50 on the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The group toured in their own right, and also provided backing for singer Vince Eager
Vince Eager
Vince Eager is a British pop singer.As a teenager, he formed the Harmonica Vagabonds, later the Vagabonds Skiffle Group, with Roy Clark, Mick Fretwell, and bassist Brian Locking. The group reached the final round of a televised "World Skiffle Championship", and were offered a residency at the 2...
.
In 1962, Leport, Johnson and White left the group. Knight and Raither continued, adding Bob Frost (bass) and Derek Dampier (drums). They released two further singles, "There's Something At The Bottom Of The Well" (1962) and "Moondust" (1963), without success in the UK although "Moondust" was a top ten hit in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The Moontrekkers broke up soon afterwards.
Later activities
After leaving The Moontrekkers, Gary Leport formed The Dimensions with bass player Louis CennamoLouis Cennamo
Louis David Cennamo was bass guitarist with an early line up of The Herd, the original line-up of Renaissance and later Colosseum, Steamhammer, Armageddon and Illusion . He also worked with Jim McCarty in Stairway. The song "Bullet", on the first Renaissance album, includes an extended...
in 1962. When singer Tommy Bishop left the group, Leport's old friend Rod Stewart joined as his replacement. In September 1963, the group were contracted to provide backing to singer Jimmy Powell
Jimmy Powell (singer)
Jimmy Powell is a British former soul and rhythm and blues singer who recorded and performed throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, and is best remembered as the lead singer of Jimmy Powell & The 5 Dimensions, a group that briefly included Rod Stewart.-Early life and career:Powell was born in Selly...
, previously of The Rockin' Berries
The Rockin' Berries
The Rockin' Berries are a pop group from Birmingham, England, who had several hit records in the UK in the 1960s. A version of the group, emphasising comedy routines as well as music, continues to perform to the present day.-History:...
, with Stewart playing harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
and the band being billed on a tour of the UK as Jimmy Powell & The Five Dimensions. Leport and Stewart both left the band before the end of 1963. Leport then retired from the music industry, but began performing again with semi-professional group Cut Glass in the late 1980s, and occasionally performed with Knight, Johnson and White as a re-formed Moontrekkers. In recent years Leport has performed with local Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
band The Plonkers, and with Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
-based jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
quartet Swing 39.
The Moontrekkers' rhythm guitarist Jimmy Raither died in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in 1993.
An arrangement of "Night of the Vampire", by composer and pianist Harry Whitney, was performed by the Kronos Quartet
Kronos Quartet
Kronos Quartet is a string quartet founded by violinist David Harrington in 1973 in Seattle, Washington. Since 1978, the quartet has been based in San Francisco, California. The longest-running combination of performers had Harrington and John Sherba on violin, Hank Dutt on viola, and Joan...
at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 2008.
External link
- The Moontrekkers at GuitaresetBatteries.com (in French)